In all things.
A strange light came into Urian’s eyes a moment before he stopped moving.
“Is something wrong?”
The most wicked of grins spread across his face before he slid out of her and shifted his body. Xyn wasn’t sure what he intended as he moved lower down her body. Not until he gently parted her tender folds and took her into his mouth.
Her head spinning, she cried out as pleasure ripped through her. Never had she felt anything more incredulous than the sensation of his tongue doing the most wicked things imaginable to her body.
Relentlessly, he teased her, making her body hotter and hotter. Her pleasure greater and greater.
Her ecstasy mounted until she was sure she’d die from it. And then, just as it became a very real possibility, her body exploded with pleasure far greater than anything she had ever experienced.
Throwing her head back, she screamed out in release as her entire body convulsed from a force unimaginable.
Urian took her hand into his and slid back inside her while her body was still in the throes of her orgasm.
She cried out even deeper in her throat, then pounded the ground with her fist.
“Are you all right?”
“Aye,” she breathed, wrapping her body around his with a dragon death roll.
Laughing, Urian closed his eyes to better savor the feel of her surrounding him. If he could, he’d stay like this forever. How he wished he could. That there were some way to convince her to stay.
But it wouldn’t be fair and he knew it. If only he could leave with her.
Yet sooner or later, he’d have to feed. While he could go back to blood donors, it was such a disgusting way to feed that he couldn’t bring himself to contemplate it.
Not really.
Why can’t I find a spell or a god who could lift this from me?
But there was really no hope.
Trying not to think about it, he moved slowly against her hips. Her sighs of mounting pleasure delighted him, especially when she began to move her hips so that she could meet his strokes.
And when his release came, he thought he’d go blind from it.
Xyn smiled as she felt him shuddering. Then he collapsed and gently laid himself over her like a blanket. She savored the sensation of his skin against hers. The feeling of him still inside her.
For the longest time he didn’t move but simply stayed there until she feared he’d fallen asleep.
Or worse, had died.
“Urian?”
“I’m here. Just thinking.”
“About?”
“The fact that when I get up, you’ll leave. And that when you do, my heart will go with you.” He lifted himself up on his arms. “Promise me something?”
“What?”
“That you’ll meet me at least once a year.”
“Uri—”
“It doesn’t have to be here, Xyn. I’ll meet you in the human world. Or wherever you pick. That way you don’t have to know about my meals, or even think about them. We’ll meet for one night. If you find someone who makes you happy, then we never have to meet again. You don’t even have to tell me. Just don’t show and I’ll know.”
“And if you find someone?”
He scoffed. “I swear that I won’t.”
Leaning up, Xyn kissed him. “All right. I’ll meet you. And if you ever stand me up for another woman, Urian Deathbringer, I’ll kill you both.”
October 30, 7383 BC
Urian was starving as he sat at a table in an inn with his brother Theo and a friend. They’d entered the human realm from a portal not that long ago, and made their way into the city to find this out-of-the-way place where humans gathered to eat and find companionship and news after dark.
How he adored this new modern age.
Women had looser morals. So did the men.
It was so much easier to find prey. These days, they gathered together for them. All they had to do was order drinks and pretend to be human for a bit. Although he’d heard of some Apollites who were beginning to open places like this that catered to their people to make it easier on them to find meals, both Apollite and Daimon.
He hadn’t found one yet, but he was hopeful, especially as he was supposed to meet up with Xyn for their annual rendezvous.
Theo laughed beside him with his friend Manades. The two of them had gotten into Urian’s last batch of bloodwyne and were passing it around quite liberally.
That had become a lucrative product in their world. Thanks to Ruyn.
And Sheba. After all these centuries, Urian still thought about her from time to time, and wondered what it would have been like had she lived.
Xanthia … she’d died a few centuries back when she failed to renew her soul on time.
That was a delicate matter for them. One they had to be careful about, as it was as much guesswork as science. Each soul was different, and how long it would keep them alive was completely dependent on the person it belonged to.
No two were ever the same. Some souls could last for a few months and some for only a few hours. Until a Daimon claimed the soul, he never knew its endurance. The exterior of a person was no guarantee. A tiny human could have a remarkable soul that wouldn’t be defeated, while the most arrogant giant could have a shriveled-up, cowardly soul that was good for nothing.
When Theo went to guzzle the wine, Urian snatched it from his brother’s hand to take a swig. “Wish you would sober up. I need you both to pay attention.”
“Sorry.” Theo snickered, which led him to believe that the apology wasn’t sincere.
Urian rolled his eyes. Until he spotted a possible victim off to the right. It was a huge brute of a bastard and he was groping a tiny serving wench. She looked as if she’d rather be anywhere else, while the man laughed at her misery. When she tried to pull away, he backhanded her so hard that it was a wonder he hadn’t broken her neck.
Yet no one lifted a finger to help her or even looked in her direction.
Urian slapped at his brother’s arm and jerked his chin to let Theo know he’d found his prey.
Yeah, that bastard needed to be removed from the gene pool. He wouldn’t mind listening to a soul that cruel beg for mercy for a while.
They had to wait until the human decided to take a piss before they got up to follow him out back. Urian was already salivating for his soul, especially when he overheard his words to the girl asking her if she had a younger sister he could plow.
Disgusted, he could barely refrain from murdering him.
Instead, Urian paused to hand the girl his purse.
She was so skittish that she actually flinched.
“It’s your tip,” he assured her. “Please, take it.”
Her hand trembled, but not as much as her voice. “Thank you, my lord.”
He narrowed his eyes on Theo. “And that’s why I don’t want Nephele in the human realm.”
“I know, adelphos. I have two daughters. You think I ever sleep?”
Manades snorted. “Try having six. I haven’t slept since the day the first one was born, and it hasn’t gotten any better as they’ve aged.”
Not wanting to think about that, Urian drew up short as they left the building and a tall, dark-haired man cut them off on their way to kill their prey.
“Excuse us.” Aggravated, Urian tried to step around him.
He intentionally moved to stand in their way.
Urian arched his brow. “Did you not hear my apology?”
“I heard, Daimon. Just don’t care.”
That sobered him quickly, as it’d been a long, long time since anyone in the human realm had known who or what they really were. Their breed had been lost long ago to myths and legends. “Who are you, stranger?”
“The who isn’t important. I’m a Dark-Hunter.”
Urian scowled. “You hunt the dark? Isn’t that a little futile?”
As expected, he had no sense of humor. Rather he glared at Urian as if he could cut his throat. “A warrior of Artemis. Charged with putting an end to your kind.”
“Isn’t that a little harsh? Brother, I just met you. Shouldn’t you get to know me before you want to kill me?”
Baring fangs, he lunged at them and stabbed Manades right through his Daimon’s mark. Poor Manades didn’t even have time to scream.